Dale Schantz, 36, died at St. Joseph's Hospital a short time after city police responded to reports of an unconscious person at 209 Wendell Terrace, where Schantz and his boyfriend, 29-year-old David Davis, lived.

There were no obvious signs of trauma to Schantz's body, such as gunshot or stab wounds, when police arrived, Connellan said.

However, a medical examiner's report concluded that Schantz's body showed signs that a fight between the two men directly led to Schantz going into cardiac arrest and his death, Chief Frank Fowler said.

Police would not say exactly what signs of trauma were evident on Schantz's body.

Fowler would not say what the fight was about or if Schantz had a pre-existing medical condition that contributed to his death.

Court papers said Schantz died from "strangulation with a contributing factor being cardiac arrest."

Though he said the fight led to Schantz's death, Connellan said the incident was "not a deliberate murder."

Police have not received other calls to that address for incidents involving Schantz and Davis, Connellan said.

Davis fled the home before police arrived, but was found about an hour later less than a block away. He is currently being held without bail at the Onondaga County Justice Center.